


Talking Italien

by percyinpanties



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, strangers AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2015-07-15
Packaged: 2018-04-09 11:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4347227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/percyinpanties/pseuds/percyinpanties
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How do ask someone out when they don’t understand a word you’re saying?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Talking Italien

Percy hates Wednesdays with a passion. It’s not that he has to be at the office an hour earlier than usually, or the fact that he is made to wear a suit, even though both these things definitely play a role in his aversion too. What really bothers him is that every Wednesday,he works with Octavian, and no matter how hard Percy tries, there is just no getting along with that man.

Not even Jason makes fun of him for it anymore after he had the pleasure of preparing the last meeting with Octavian and Percy is pretty sure Jason actually pities him a little bit. Maybe that’s why every Wednesday, Jason doesn’t just buy his own, but Percy’s coffee too before they ride all the way up to the 83rd floor.

There’s one thing about Wednesdays though that Percy has grown to like: the handsome Italian that only that day takes the same elevator as Jason and Percy, presumably to get to work as well. Having lived in New York City for all his life, Percy is used to being surrounded by people who don’t speak English, and while he has picked up a lot of Spanish and maybe a little French, he’s never gotten around to even learn the most basic Italian. And it’s not until now that it has proven to be a problem. How do ask someone out when they don’t understand a word you’re saying?

It’s Wednesday again and the prospect of the day to come hasn’t exactly put Percy in the highest spirits. Worse than that, the coffee shop right around the corner ran out of blue food dye, or maybe the baristas decided not to play along with Percy’s strange request anymore - whatever it is, coffee without the colouring just doesn’t taste quite as good.

Not even Jason’s constant chatter can lift his mood, and by the time they step into the elevator Percy has stopped listening to whatever shenanigans Jason’s boyfriend has gotten up to last night. It only reminds him how desperately single he is.

Jason presses the button and Percy only perks up enough to catch the words Leo and cat and that’s enough for him to tune out again. The doors are about to close when Percy spots a lean figure running toward them, and recognising his handsome stranger, Percy short-handedly sticks his arm between the closing doors, forcing them to open again.

He doesn’t get a thank you, but a bright smile and a nod, and for Percy, that’s enough. Jason gives him an amused look, but Percy only shrugs, and the man behind them goes back to the call he’d taken just before walking in.

“No, non capisci.” The man frowns, gripping the phone tighter like that would help whatever point he’s making and even so he looks strikingly handsome. Percy always had had a thing for blondes, and if Percy had to describe a type, the Italian wouldn’t fit it at all. He’s pale, thin and petite somehow, his long dark hair always pulled back into a ponytail neater than Percy’s unruly hair has been at any point in his life.

Next to Percy, Jason huffs a laugh.   
“Your crush is getting embarrassingly obvious.” He mumbles quietly, but probably loud enough to be heard everywhere in the small elevator. When Jason smirks at him on top of that, Percy crosses his arms and glares at his friend.

“So what? Have you looked at the guy?” Percy looks over his shoulder to the man still talking on his mobile. “You can’t blame me, he’s really hot”

“I don’t want another speech about ivory skin Percy.” Jason teases and despite himself, Percy can’t help but blush a little. Maybe Jason had a point, even without understanding a word the stranger had probably caught on to Percy’s attraction by now.

“Aspetta!” The man calls out suddenly, looking at his phone screen in exasperation before he grumbles: “Dannazione..”

Percy just raises an eyebrow, suspecting whoever the guy was talking to must have hung up on him. When the man looks up, Percy catches his eyes and smiles, even though embarrassment colours his cheeks pink. He gets the ghost of a smile in return before Percy manages to tear his eyes away and turn back to Jason, who’s looking like he’s having a hard time not laughing.

“You should ask him out already.” Jason grins and wiggles his eyebrows, like he knows something Percy doesn’t, and nudges him with his shoulder.

“How? It’s not like he’d understand.” Before Jason can answer, the elevator slows to a halt and the doors open with creak.

<hr>

The next time Percy sees the man it’s not Wednesday, but Friday afternoon on his way down. Today was easy enough, no Octavian anywhere in sight at least, and idea of going out with Jason and his boyfriend tonight has put Percy in a rather good mood.

When they enter the elevator, the man is already in, typing away on his phone and leaning against the wall next to the mirror. Percy licks his lips and his smile widens a little - much to Jason’s amusement - before he approaches the man slowly. This had been going on for far too long, and with a little help from the internet Percy got on Wednesday night, he is determined to put an end to this.

Leaning as casually as he can manage next to the man, Percy shoves his hands deep into the pockets of his dress pants and puts on a charming smile. The man looks up, looking a little puzzled and Percy takes his chance.

“Cosa fai stasera? Ti va di uscire?” All the Italien he had looked and listened to might have helped him memorize the right words, but it did nothing to help with the terrible American accent now laced into the question. From the looks of it, it sounded as bad to the man’s ears as it did to Percy’s and behind him, he can hear Jason laughing quietly.

“I’d love to, yes.” Percy pales at the reply, not because he had expected to be turned down - even though he had considered that a rather likely possibility - but because the man hasn’t answered in Italian at all. Realisation dawns on Percy, and he hides his face behind both hands.

“You understood every word I’ve been saying, haven’t you?” He mumbles, not quite ready to face the humiliation of having gushed about the guy for weeks thinking he didn’t understand only to hit on him in the worst Italien he must have heard in his life so far.

“Yes, it was cute, really. Ivory skin?” Thankfully, the man takes it with humour. When Percy peeks through his fingers, there is a teasing smile on the man’s lips and his eyes twinkle with mischief. Behind them, Jason is still laughing.

“I’m Nico, by the way.” He offers Percy his hand to shake and Percy takes it despite the fact that his face is still burning in shame.

“Percy. And uh..” Percy points behind him, about to introduce the goof that he calls his best friend as well, but something about the way Nico’s grin widens makes him hesitate.

“Oh, I know Jason. We’ve been talking sometimes.” When Percy turns around, Jason has put on a perfectly innocent smile, like that’s going to save him from getting strangled by Percy as soon as no one can see. Percy wants to tell him exactly that, but Jason doesn’t give him a chance to. He walks up to Nico and Percy, pats Percy’s shoulder apologetically before he smiles at Nico.

“We were actually going out tonight. My boyfriend’s coming too.” Jason winks at Percy before he goes on, and Percy decides that he might have to postpone Jason’s murder. “It would be great if you came too.”

“One condition.” Nico crosses his arms over his chest, but he is smiling nevertheless. “Don’t ever try to talk Italian to me again.”

**Author's Note:**

> let me know what you thought down below c:


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